Defining Document Types
Use the Document Types window to define access, security, and control specifications for all Purchasing documents. You cannot enter new document types; you can enter new document subtypes only for RFQs and quotations.
Attention: The document controls that you specify here are fully operational during use of the Browse feature.
Prerequisites
Before you use this window to set up your document types, you should perform the following steps:
- If you want to be able to choose the document approval hierarchy in this form, you must enable Use Approval Hierarchies in the Financials Options window. See: Defining Financials Options.
- You must use the Position Hierarchy window to create and update the position hierarchies, since Purchasing uses these hierarchies as document approval routings. See: Representing Jobs and Positions.
To define document types:
Purchasing provides the following Document Types: Purchase Agreement, Purchase Order, Quotation, Release, Request for Quotation, and Requisition.
2. You can enter user-defined Document Subtypes only for document types Quotation and Request for Quotation. You can delete Quotation and Request for Quotation document types you have created, but only if no actual document exists for the type. Purchasing provides the following document subtypes:
3. Enter your Document Name for the document. The description must be unique for the given document type. The name that you enter here appears as a list of values choice in the Type field in the appropriate document entry window. For example, it appears, along with the quotation class, as a list of values choice in the Quotation Type field in the Quotations window.
4. The Quotation Class is applicable only for document types Quotation and Request for Quotation. Choose one of the following options:
Bid - The quotation or RFQ is for a specific fixed quantity, location, and date.
Catalog - The quotation or RFQ includes price breaks at different quantity levels.
5. Check Owner Can Approve to indicate that document preparers can approve their own documents. This field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ.
Attention: If you are using budgetary control and enable this option, you should also enable the Reserve at Requisition Completion option in the Financials Options window. Likewise, if you disable this option, you should also disable the Reserve at Requisition Completion option.
6. Check Approver Can Modify to indicate that document approvers can modify documents. This field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ.
7. Check Can Change Forward-To to indicate that users can change the person the document is forwarded to. This field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ.
8. Check Can Change Forward-From to indicate that users can change the name of the document creator. This field is applicable only when the Document Type is Requisition.
9. Check Can Change Approval Hierarchy to indicate that approvers can change the approval hierarchy in the Approve Documents window. This field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ.
10. Check Disable to disable a document type. This field is applicable only for user-defined quotations and RFQs.
11. For user-defined quotations and RFQs, Purchasing displays as a default the Security Level of the Standard Quotation or RFQ, and you cannot enter the field. Otherwise, choose one of the following options:
Hierarchy - Only the document owner and users above the owner in the defined purchasing security hierarchy may access these documents.
Private - Only the document owner may access these documents.
Public - Any user may access these documents.
Purchasing - Only the document owner and users listed as buyers in the Define Buyers window may access these documents.
12. For user-defined quotations and RFQs, the Access Level is that of the Standard Quotation or Standard RFQ, and you cannot enter the field. Otherwise, choose one of the following Access Level options:
Full - Users can view, modify, cancel, and final close documents.
Modify - Users can only view and modify documents.
View Only - Users can only view documents.
13. The Forward Method field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ. The following options apply regardless of whether you are using position hierarchies or the employee/supervisor relationship to determine your approval paths. Choose one of the following options:
Direct - The defaults for the approver is the first person in the preparer's approval path that has sufficient approval authority.
Hierarchy - The default for the approver is the next person in the preparer's approval path.
14. The Archive When field is applicable only when the Document Type is Purchase Agreement, Purchase Order, or Release. Choose one of the following options:
Approve - The document is archived upon approval. This option is the default.
Print - The document is archived upon printing.
15. The Default Hierarchy field is not applicable when the Document Type is Quotation or RFQ. Otherwise, when Use Approval Hierarchies is enabled in the Financial Options window, you can enter a position hierarchy from the Position Hierarchy window. This hierarchy then becomes the default in the Approve Documents window.
To associate certain workflows with specific document types:
In Purchasing, all approvals are handled in the background by Oracle Workflow technology. The default approval workflow processes in Purchasing use the approval controls and hierarchies you define according to the setup steps in Setting Up Document Approval and Security. If you created a workflow process of your own and wanted to associate it with a specific document type, you would choose that workflow process here.
1. Select the Approval Workflow you want to use for this particular document type, or use the default that is already provided.
The PO Approval workflow is used for approving purchase orders. The PO Requisition Approval workflow is used for approving requisitions. If you've created a workflow of your own, you can select that for this document. See: Approval Workflows.
2. Select the Workflow Startup Process you want to use for this particular document type, or use the default that is already provided.
Usually the Workflow Startup Process is the highest-level process in a workflow. For example, the highest-level process for the PO Approval workflow is the "PO Approval Top Process." If you've created a startup process of your own, you can select that for this document.
3. For requisitions only, select the Autocreate Workflow you want to use for automatically creating purchase orders or releases from approved requisition lines, or use the default that is provided.
4. For requisitions only, select the Autocreate Workflow Startup Process you want to use, or use the default that is already provided.
The highest-level process for the PO Approval workflow is the "Overall Document Creation / Launch Approval Process." If you've created a startup process of your own, you can select that for this document.
See Also
Defining Financials Options
Representing Jobs and Positions
Enter Person
Budgetary Control and Online Funds Checking
Submitting a Document for Approval
Entering Requisition Headers
Entering Purchase Order Headers
Entering RFQ Headers
Entering Quotation Headers
